Happy Heart Month!

February is “Heart Month”, a great time to refocus our efforts on keeping our heart as healthy as possible. And this February includes “leap day” (February 29th) which gives us an extra day to work on our healthy heart habits.

Consider one or more of the following heart healthy actions this month:

Race your heart: Start an exercise program, beginning with a few minutes each day and working up gradually and safely to a goal of at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity (like brisk walking or biking, for example) at least 5 days a week.

Nurture your heart: 5 fruits and/or vegetables a day help to keep your heart healthy and well-nourished. Find simple ways to include fruits and vegetables into your daily dietary habits.

Help your heart breath: Avoid all tobacco exposure to help your lungs and heart work together.

Lighten your heart: Have an extra inch or two around the waistline? Work toward “waist management” by steady improvements in activity and dietary habits (see numbers 1 and 2 above). Even a half inch will help with your efforts to keep your heart healthy.

“Go Red” on February 5th: Help raise awareness that cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of women in the United States. Wear red on Friday, February 5th (or all month, for that matter!)